Operation finds girls forced to be prostitutes

Four teen prostitutes were rescued and dozens of adult prostitutes were arrested during a three-day sweep conducted by the FBI and Las Vegas police in Southern Nevada, an FBI spokesman said Tuesday.

Joseph Dickey, a special agent with the FBI's Las Vegas field office, said his agency and the Metropolitan Police Department worked together in Operation Cross Country IV, a nationwide sweep that took place Friday through Sunday in cities such as New York, Cleveland, Seattle and Sacramento, Calif.

The raids resulted in 52 rescued children and nearly 700 arrests across the country.

Dickey said the girls rescued in Southern Nevada ranged in age from 14 to 16. They were turned over to officials with Child Protective Services. Dickey said 75 adults were arrested on local prostitution-related charges.

Dickey lauded Las Vegas police and the vice officers who took part in the raids.

He added that child prostitution remains a serious problem throughout the nation.

"It's a very, very, sad situation that children in this day and age are forced into these terrible situations," Dickey said.

The initiative has rescued nearly 900 children, led to the conviction of 510 pimps, madams and their associates, and seized $3.1 million in assets, according to the FBI.

McClatchy Newspapers contributed to this report. Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.